New adopted cat enters the household

My mom adopts old cats and they don’t last long. She’s had Creampuff since February 2002.

“Creampuff was just 2 at the time,” she says. “I don’t usually adopt young cats. But I have to admit, it’s been nice living with a cat for so many years.”

She had Tiger a long time – about 15 years. Tiger finally died in Seattle and then she got Ophelia. Ophelia died here in 2012 and then she got Pumpkin.

Pumpkin was my favorite. She was sensible. She had a sense of humor. She loved to cuddle. She was nice and plump. But the vet thinks Pumpkin was older than we thought. Pumpkin got kidney disease and thyroid problems. She was on meds and seemed to be doing fine, when suddenly she died on New Years Day 2016.

My mom was devastated. “It’s so sudden,” she kept saying.

But my mom believes the best cure for losing a cat is to adopt another one. She put out feelers to the volunteers at the shelter. She heard about an awesome declawed cat, living with vet students who were their foster parents. The cat was sweet and loving and good with dogs and other cats. Yes!

Alas, that cat got adopted by the foster mom’s human mom.

So then my mom heard about a cat named Melon who was throwing hissy fits at the shelter. “A pretty gal in the Time to Adjust Room,” said the volunteer.

And another volunteer said, “Melon is time-stamped for Tuesday January 5. She hates the shelter. She’s not adjusting. Better ask Lifesaving.”

That was enough for my mom. On Monday, January 4, she showed up at the shelter with a cat carrier. And she came home with a hissy, cranky, whiny cat who took over the bathroom.

“I have to keep her isolated,” she told us.

Melon’s name didn’t last. She isn’t sweet or soft or round. My mom named her “Miss Crankypants” and all the volunteers who’d met this cat agreed it’s the perfect name. That’s not a good sign.

My mom says she likes Miss Crankypants calm down and become less cranky. She’s been leaving the bathroom door open and Miss Crankypants now spends most of her time in the hallway ner the living room. She goes into the living room sometimes, where she just sits and watches. She hisses at Creampuff. She hisses at me. Sometimes she gets really annoyed and raises a paw, which is meaningless because she is declawed.

Even my mom has begun to wonder how long we’ll have to wait till Miss Crankypants becomes a real cat. So far Miss Crankypants has enjoyed good food and a nice soft cushion, as well as roaming privileges around the house. In return, she gives nothing back. She occasionally lets my mom scratch her chin or stroke her back or even pick her up. But most of the time she’s hissing and spitting and doing her now-infamous low growl.